Member Reviews

Aaron B, Reviewer

This is a three-star book due to lots of plusses and minuses, rather than just an ordinary book.

On the plus side is engaging and amusing characters working through a delightfully complex plot. There's plenty of humor, striking situations and dialog. On the negative side is an excessive ratio of backstory to action, resulting in a glacial pace and often more interest in side issues the author drops than the nominal plot. Every time the plot picks up a little momentum, it fizzles out. The net is an unsatisfying novel, albeit with many entertaining and thought-provoking aspects.

My main personal complaint will not resonate with everyone. This is not a math novel [[ASIN:0312303025 The...

This is a three-star book due to lots of plusses and minuses, rather than just an ordinary book.
On the plus side is engaging and amusing characters working through a delightfully complex plot. There's plenty of humor, striking situations and dialog. On the negative side is an excessive ratio of backstory to action, resulting in a glacial pace and often more interest in side issues the author drops than the nominal plot. Every time the plot picks up a little momentum, it fizzles out. The net is an unsatisfying novel, albeit with many entertaining and thought-provoking aspects.
My main personal complaint will not resonate with everyone. This is not a math novel [[ASIN:0312303025 The Parrot's Theorem]] or [[ASIN:0452287839 Euclid in the Rainforest]]. It's not written for math lovers, it's not even up to the level of a play like [[ASIN:B0094PM622 Proof]] or the television show [[ASIN:B000HZERI4 Numb3rs]]. There's no real mathematics in it, just math jargon and names mixed randomly in the dialog. The mathematics in this book are either lists of numbers or magic.

The Last Equation of Isaac Severy by Nova Jacobs ended up being a very different book than I was expecting. I thought this was going to be a book about a young woman, Hazel, whose grandfather, a famed mathematician, dies and leaves behind an equation for her to track down and protect from anyone else. This is a plot in the book and we do go on a hunt with Hazel as she finds clues left behind by her grandfather and tries to decode their meaning but I think it is more a book about family and how our past influences us. This is a story about a very flawed family and the expectations that family members have for one another and the struggle of trying to live up to expectations whether they be...

The Last Equation of Isaac Severy by Nova Jacobs ended up being a very different book than I was expecting. I thought this was going to be a book about a young woman, Hazel, whose grandfather, a famed mathematician, dies and leaves behind an equation for her to track down and protect from anyone else. This is a plot in the book and we do go on a hunt with Hazel as she finds clues left behind by her grandfather and tries to decode their meaning but I think it is more a book about family and how our past influences us. This is a story about a very flawed family and the expectations that family members have for one another and the struggle of trying to live up to expectations whether they be assumed or reality.
The book is told in multiple perspectives from the different family members. It was easy to follow and I felt like I was getting to know the characters. Many of them were very quirky and I love quirky characters. Because the plot is based on mathematicians there is a fair amount of math talk. I’m not a math person at all but I didn’t feel lost and I didn’t feel like the math talk disrupted my experience of the book. The plot was a bit slow moving but done in such a way that I also read this quickly because I wanted to find out how it would end.
If you love a mystery that isn’t just a mystery give this book a try.

Yes, there is math but don’t be alarmed – you don’t have to understand any equations to read this book.

In this debut novel, our protagonist is launched into a strange, real life scavenger hunt. Isaac Severy, a brilliant physicist and mathematician is dead. His adopted granddaughter Hazel leaves a failing used bookstore and fizzling relationship in Seattle to attend the L.A. funeral.

At the reading of the will, she learns Isaac had a task for her. She begins to follow the (mostly) literary clues, and she slowly realizes he is trying to hide a mathematical breakthrough from the bad guys. It’s up to her to find it and destroy it before anyone else gets their hands on it. And it is Hazel’s...

Yes, there is math but don’t be alarmed – you don’t have to understand any equations to read this book.
In this debut novel, our protagonist is launched into a strange, real life scavenger hunt. Isaac Severy, a brilliant physicist and mathematician is dead. His adopted granddaughter Hazel leaves a failing used bookstore and fizzling relationship in Seattle to attend the L.A. funeral.
At the reading of the will, she learns Isaac had a task for her. She begins to follow the (mostly) literary clues, and she slowly realizes he is trying to hide a mathematical breakthrough from the bad guys. It’s up to her to find it and destroy it before anyone else gets their hands on it. And it is Hazel’s point-of-view storyline that has the most spunk.
She jabbed at Close Door, that placebo of buttons. ~ Loc. 1704
The other storylines are shorter and fewer, which is for the best because they are far less interesting. Working on the puzzles with Hazel and seeing how the storylines become linked, is the strength of this book. As the story progresses, however, it becomes much more about Hazel’s relationships and inner thoughts.
She had to stop and grab hold of the starboard rail for a few breaths. She couldn’t let herself fall apart right now. It would only draw unwanted attention. ~ Loc. 3860
Though it’s not listed as such, the book felt more like a YA or new adult, rather than straight ahead adult fiction. The tone shifts from diverting adventure to a coming-of-age story. I much preferred the initial style, but either way it felt uneven.
It’s an enjoyable if imperfect read.

This is a complex web of lies, murder, math predicting future murder, and a crazy family that it swirls around. You won't see the twists and turns coming which make this a refreshing, intense, and incredible read.

Thanks Touchstone and netgalley for this ARC.
This is a complex web of lies, murder, math predicting future murder, and a crazy family that it swirls around. You won't see the twists and turns coming which make this a refreshing, intense, and incredible read.

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cindy h, Reviewer

Thank you to NetGalley andTouchstone Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Yes!!! I really enjoyed this quirky, original, mathematical brain twister. Kudos to the publisher for getting their blurb right...This was “Family Fang meets AJ Fikry.” Hazel and the rest of the Severy clan gave me all the feels. This book was the perfect blend of comedy, drama, mystery and fun. I’m not sure what I was expecting but I got way more than I imagined. The only thing missing was a family tree to keep track of all the colorful family members. If you are looking for a smart beach read, then grab a copy of The Last Equation of Isaac Severy. I promise, you’ll...

Thank you to NetGalley andTouchstone Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Yes!!! I really enjoyed this quirky, original, mathematical brain twister. Kudos to the publisher for getting their blurb right...This was “Family Fang meets AJ Fikry.” Hazel and the rest of the Severy clan gave me all the feels. This book was the perfect blend of comedy, drama, mystery and fun. I’m not sure what I was expecting but I got way more than I imagined. The only thing missing was a family tree to keep track of all the colorful family members.
If you are looking for a smart beach read, then grab a copy of The Last Equation of Isaac Severy. I promise, you’ll feel like the teacher’s pet.

Hazel Severy has been set in a quest by her recently deceased grandfather, Isaac Severy a renown mathematician. His letter to her stresses secrecy and suspicion of everyone else within the family and without. This charming narrative poses puzzles and clues to help her solve find his last equation and deliver it safely to his only trusted friend. Even without a facility for numbers, I found the puzzles interesting and the book enjoyable.

Hazel Severy has been set in a quest by her recently deceased grandfather, Isaac Severy a renown mathematician. His letter to her stresses secrecy and suspicion of everyone else within the family and without. This charming narrative poses puzzles and clues to help her solve find his last equation and deliver it safely to his only trusted friend. Even without a facility for numbers, I found the puzzles interesting and the book enjoyable.

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C.R. E, Reviewer

The vibe of the book is a bit like a scientific Adams family. The book details give a fair overview of the story which centers on Isaac's Severy's death and the search by various people to obtain his last Equation. It was an engaging and easy read, Nova Jacobs keeps the pace going without stumbling in the middle which makes it a book I recommend to anyone looking for an entertaining read. I did feel that the book has dark aspects to it that are taken a bit lightly which contributes to an Adams family vibe but I wasn't always sold on it. Because the book is a light exploration into the idea that life can be stripped down to a formula I think it worked but I wouldn't have...

The vibe of the book is a bit like a scientific Adams family. The book details give a fair overview of the story which centers on Isaac's Severy's death and the search by various people to obtain his last Equation. It was an engaging and easy read, Nova Jacobs keeps the pace going without stumbling in the middle which makes it a book I recommend to anyone looking for an entertaining read. I did feel that the book has dark aspects to it that are taken a bit lightly which contributes to an Adams family vibe but I wasn't always sold on it. Because the book is a light exploration into the idea that life can be stripped down to a formula I think it worked but I wouldn't have minded a darker, more serious exploration. That said, I recommend this to anyone looking for a character driven, slightly philosophical read. The characters are quirky and charming, the atmosphere draws you in and I could see myself reading it a second time.

The coolest character in this book dies on the third page, but he still dominates the action, so that gives you an idea of what you're in for.

The heroine of the tale, Hazel, owns a failing bookstore, which gets the book some "Fikry" and "Penumbra" comparisons, but this isn't a bookstore story. This is sort of an American Masterpiece Theater story with an arch mathematical macguffin that keeps everyone running around. That is not intended at all as a criticism.

We open with Isaac Severy's death, (murder? suicide? accident?), and turn directly to his funeral. Isaac was a math genius and we get to meet all of the genius offspring at this...

A Math Cozy
The coolest character in this book dies on the third page, but he still dominates the action, so that gives you an idea of what you're in for.
The heroine of the tale, Hazel, owns a failing bookstore, which gets the book some "Fikry" and "Penumbra" comparisons, but this isn't a bookstore story. This is sort of an American Masterpiece Theater story with an arch mathematical macguffin that keeps everyone running around. That is not intended at all as a criticism.
We open with Isaac Severy's death, (murder? suicide? accident?), and turn directly to his funeral. Isaac was a math genius and we get to meet all of the genius offspring at this funeral. Through the eyes of Hazel, (who isn't a math genius, but is just logical), we get to meet all of Hazels crazy genius aunts and uncles, and their spouses, and all of the cousins whose apples are lying right under their various trees.
The idea here is that Isaac created a world changing equation, hid it, and has tasked Hazel to find it and deliver to a certified good guy. Everyone else wants it too, but they are all devious and various shades of bad guy. Hazel has to follow clues, choose whom to trust or avoid, and survive to the end of the book. Meanwhile the family, an entertaining bag of nuts, circles around her doing their own idiosyncratic awkward or creepy or mean or gormless individual things. It's fun in a well written, fast paced, and entertaining fashion.
Of the two best characters, one is dead. Old Isaac was very big on letters, exposition, and chatty clues, so we hear his voice throughout the book. Everyone has memories of Isaac and flashbacks about Isaac and stories and pictures of Isaac, so he seems to be always alive on the page, dead though he may otherwise be. As to our heroine, she is rational, normal, and not in the same angst/dysfunction category as any of her relatives, and so she makes a great guide through the book.
The book is fun and smart. It sometimes zigs when you expect a zag, and it's not afraid to go a bit over the top on occasion. I liked the big reveal, although some have expressed dissatisfaction. (I didn't expect to learn the secret to life, the universe, and everything, (which, by the way is "42"), and so I wasn't let down.) I thought this was way more clever and ambitious and sly than most, and quite entertaining.
(Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

Here’s a modern “Nancy Drew type” mystery for adults. Hazel Severy, adopted into a family of mathematical geniuses, plays the girl sleuth well. She didn’t have much trouble leaving Seattle and her struggling bookstore when the family patriarch, Isaac Severy, died after sending her a letter explaining that she was to protect his last equation. Although it seems that one of the more intellectually gifted members of the family might have understood the task better, Hazel does her best to follow her grandfather’s instructions as she attempts to make sense of why this equation is so important to so many people. There are relationship issues galore among the members of this high IQ family, and...

Here’s a modern “Nancy Drew type” mystery for adults. Hazel Severy, adopted into a family of mathematical geniuses, plays the girl sleuth well. She didn’t have much trouble leaving Seattle and her struggling bookstore when the family patriarch, Isaac Severy, died after sending her a letter explaining that she was to protect his last equation. Although it seems that one of the more intellectually gifted members of the family might have understood the task better, Hazel does her best to follow her grandfather’s instructions as she attempts to make sense of why this equation is so important to so many people. There are relationship issues galore among the members of this high IQ family, and these add both interest to the story and possible suspects to the list of those who might be trying to gain access to the equation. Clues about Hazel’s family are sprinkled throughout the book, and all of the threads are pulled together nicely with the resolution.

When I first started breading this, it seemed as if was going to be a treasure hunt of a novel. The treasure belonging to a highly touted mathametician, and the treasure a brilliant equation, which many seek. When Isaac died under suspicious circumstances his granddaughter is left a letter containing clues as to where this equation is, and also to whom he wants it given.

But....this is not exactly a treasure hunt, it is also or maybe more about a family with the majority of family members having a certain type of genius. The few that don't are somewhat dismissed, not valued as highly. Many of them have secrets, are more or less than they seem. A rather dysfunctional group of...

When I first started breading this, it seemed as if was going to be a treasure hunt of a novel. The treasure belonging to a highly touted mathametician, and the treasure a brilliant equation, which many seek. When Isaac died under suspicious circumstances his granddaughter is left a letter containing clues as to where this equation is, and also to whom he wants it given.
But....this is not exactly a treasure hunt, it is also or maybe more about a family with the majority of family members having a certain type of genius. The few that don't are somewhat dismissed, not valued as highly. Many of them have secrets, are more or less than they seem. A rather dysfunctional group of characters.
I thought this was written very well, in fact the writing drew me in more consistently than the story. The story itself, started out strong, kind of lagged and lost me in the middle, and then picked up again in the latter third. Except for a few, I found the majority of characters unlikable. All in all for me it was an okay read, a different read, with some wonderful writing.
ARC from Netgalley.

“The Last Equation of Isaac Severy” by Nova Jacobs is about mystery and math, and readers will love both the book AND the math. It is not a dissertation of mathematics theory, but instead an intriguing puzzle.
The Severy family is grieving over Isaac Severy's sudden death. Hazel receives a letter, dated before his death, asking to deliver his final equation to a trusted colleague. She is confused, not knowing if the note and request are real or the disconnected thoughts of an unbalanced man. Hazel’s life just got more complicated. The book was both a lighthearted mystery as well as a tale of life, death, family, and the universe. The story is a little slow to start. Who would have...

“The Last Equation of Isaac Severy” by Nova Jacobs is about mystery and math, and readers will love both the book AND the math. It is not a dissertation of mathematics theory, but instead an intriguing puzzle.
The Severy family is grieving over Isaac Severy's sudden death. Hazel receives a letter, dated before his death, asking to deliver his final equation to a trusted colleague. She is confused, not knowing if the note and request are real or the disconnected thoughts of an unbalanced man. Hazel’s life just got more complicated.
The book was both a lighthearted mystery as well as a tale of life, death, family, and the universe. The story is a little slow to start. Who would have thought that so many people would recite mathematical formulas at a funeral? There is also a rather large cast of characters to keep track of, but they are believable, complex, and flawed at the same time. They really drive the story.
The book is both a puzzle mystery and the tale of Isaac’s family. The mystery keeps readers turning pages, and the dysfunctional family adds “drama.”
I received a copy of “The Last Equation of Isaaac Severy “from Nova Jacobs, NetGalley, and Simon and Schuster. It was fun, easy to read and thought provoking. It created a new theme in the “cozy” book category – mathematicians solving mysteries, and I can hardly wait for the next math mystery.

Who doesn’t love a mystery inside a mystery? This is a great rainy day read. It didn’t take long to finish, and That’s great. You will want to know how it ends!

Who doesn’t love a mystery inside a mystery? This is a great rainy day read. It didn’t take long to finish, and That’s great. You will want to know how it ends!

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Reviewer 9876

This turned out to be a much broader tale than I was expecting. After Isaac Severy dies in an apparent suicide, his adopted granddaughter Hazel is the recipient of a letter. In it, she is tasked with finding and delivering his crowning mathematical formula to the right person. If the book had stayed that course, I think the subtitle about clues would be more apt. Instead, there are multiple points of view from this super smart family, in particular Hazel's brother Gabe (by blood, both were adopted), and Issac's son Philip. There is a lot of talk about math and physics, plenty of red herrings and additional plot turns to fill the mystery genre label. It is filled with so many...

This turned out to be a much broader tale than I was expecting. After Isaac Severy dies in an apparent suicide, his adopted granddaughter Hazel is the recipient of a letter. In it, she is tasked with finding and delivering his crowning mathematical formula to the right person. If the book had stayed that course, I think the subtitle about clues would be more apt. Instead, there are multiple points of view from this super smart family, in particular Hazel's brother Gabe (by blood, both were adopted), and Issac's son Philip. There is a lot of talk about math and physics, plenty of red herrings and additional plot turns to fill the mystery genre label. It is filled with so many quirky characters and events, it is not hard to imagine it could be one of those large, family dysfunction type movies. It was harder than I thought it would be to get into, but the end reveal came together neatly, so I am glad I stuck it out.

What a great literary mystery! I took a chance and veered outside my typical genre of women's fiction, and I am so glad I did. Combine that with my academic interests the polar opposite of math, and astound me even further. I loved the family drama, the quirky characters, and of course the mysterious equations to be solved -- all of them equal one fantastic read!

What a great literary mystery! I took a chance and veered outside my typical genre of women's fiction, and I am so glad I did. Combine that with my academic interests the polar opposite of math, and astound me even further. I loved the family drama, the quirky characters, and of course the mysterious equations to be solved -- all of them equal one fantastic read!

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Sarah-Hope P, Educator

Posted on March 29, 2018 by sarah-hope
Fun Reads (Because We All Need an Occasional Break from Saving Democracy)

In one of its iterations, this was a book blog, and while I’ve primarily dedicated it to current U.S. politics and resisting, I’m still reading books, and find them worth sharing. Here are two titles that came out earlier this month, both of which offer a something-more-than-the-usual mystery.

What do you do when you’re a not-mathematically-inclined bookseller who has discovered after the death of your famous mathematician grandfather that he’s counting on you to rescue his...

Posted on March 29, 2018 by sarah-hope
Fun Reads (Because We All Need an Occasional Break from Saving Democracy)
In one of its iterations, this was a book blog, and while I’ve primarily dedicated it to current U.S. politics and resisting, I’m still reading books, and find them worth sharing. Here are two titles that came out earlier this month, both of which offer a something-more-than-the-usual mystery.
The Last Equation of Isaac Severy, Nova Jacobs, released 6 March, 2018, 352 pages, Simon & Schuster
What do you do when you’re a not-mathematically-inclined bookseller who has discovered after the death of your famous mathematician grandfather that he’s counting on you to rescue his last equation, one which could have dire consequences for the entire world? That’s the question The Last Equation of Isaac Severy answers. At least the protagonist’s adopted grandfather has the courtesy to hide his clues in one of her favorite novels.
Last Equation is a fast-paced read with a plot and characters that grow more complex by the page. It’s the kind of book you want to start in the morning, so you’re sure to have time to finish it before you go to bed. The intersection of the literary and the mathematical results in an interesting kind of culture clash, though Jacobs writes in a way that makes both cultures accessible to her readers, regardless of their backgrounds.
Star Rating (out of five): ****

This is a nerd’s pleasure of a read. Like Mr. Penumbra’s Bookstore, it brought together two of my favorite things, mathematics and books. Nova Jacobs takes her ordinary heroine on a chase through the streets of Los Angeles to uncover the secrets of her extraordinary family. A fun read even if you aren’t a math geek, but more fun if you are!

This is a nerd’s pleasure of a read. Like Mr. Penumbra’s Bookstore, it brought together two of my favorite things, mathematics and books. Nova Jacobs takes her ordinary heroine on a chase through the streets of Los Angeles to uncover the secrets of her extraordinary family. A fun read even if you aren’t a math geek, but more fun if you are!

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Sabrina C, Reviewer

I really enjoyed this book. As a math person myself, I was excited to read this - and I felt the same about Dark Matter. Science/Math in a mystery novel! I'll eat that up all day. If you hate math, you can still enjoy this book as a mystery book - there isn't an overwhelming amount of actual math in the book so no need to worry.

I thought it was a great mystery novel with Hazel being the mail character, her uncle Phillip being a secondary narrator, while the late, great Isaac being at the center of the mystery. There were a lot of characters/family members so I actually had to write them all down on a family tree to keep everyone straight. I loved how some of the surprises...

I really enjoyed this book. As a math person myself, I was excited to read this - and I felt the same about Dark Matter. Science/Math in a mystery novel! I'll eat that up all day. If you hate math, you can still enjoy this book as a mystery book - there isn't an overwhelming amount of actual math in the book so no need to worry.
I thought it was a great mystery novel with Hazel being the mail character, her uncle Phillip being a secondary narrator, while the late, great Isaac being at the center of the mystery. There were a lot of characters/family members so I actually had to write them all down on a family tree to keep everyone straight. I loved how some of the surprises played out early on in the book and how they flowed into the next section (ie- P Booth Lyons, certain relationships...). Overall I can't really say anything bad about this book. It kept my attention, I didn't feel like anything was left unfinished, and I would definitely recommend this as a great mystery fiction!
Thanks for the ARC.

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange of an honest review. There were some parts of this book I liked and others that I didn't. The whole idea of a mystery surrounding an equation sounded fun and I was excited to see what would happen. The equation part of the book and what it showed seemed really far fetched. Some of the characters were pretty awful people! My favorite storyline in the book was Gregorys and the mystery surrounding his actions which didn't really fit well with the main story. The writing was good and the author shows promise, but I really felt kind of meh about the whole thing. If you like the mystery genre than this book might be for you!

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange of an honest review. There were some parts of this book I liked and others that I didn't. The whole idea of a mystery surrounding an equation sounded fun and I was excited to see what would happen. The equation part of the book and what it showed seemed really far fetched. Some of the characters were pretty awful people! My favorite storyline in the book was Gregorys and the mystery surrounding his actions which didn't really fit well with the main story. The writing was good and the author shows promise, but I really felt kind of meh about the whole thing. If you like the mystery genre than this book might be for you!

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Shanna L, Reviewer

A bravely unique story, readers will fall in love with Hazel, and maybe even like math!

A bravely unique story, readers will fall in love with Hazel, and maybe even like math!

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Morgan T, Reviewer

Honestly, I did not enjoy this book. Maybe I spaced out my reading of it too much but I never connected with the characters. I never really enjoyed the story. My main feeling when finishing the book is confusion, not on what happened in the book, but what underlied what happened in the book. I can see why other's would love this book, but it was definitely not for me. The Last Equation of Isaac Severy is about a granddaughter searching for her grandfather's last equation, that is supposed to have a huge impact on the world as we know it. The story within is full of twists and turns and an unrealistic plot line -- but hey, you very well may love that

Honestly, I did not enjoy this book. Maybe I spaced out my reading of it too much but I never connected with the characters. I never really enjoyed the story. My main feeling when finishing the book is confusion, not on what happened in the book, but what underlied what happened in the book. I can see why other's would love this book, but it was definitely not for me. The Last Equation of Isaac Severy is about a granddaughter searching for her grandfather's last equation, that is supposed to have a huge impact on the world as we know it. The story within is full of twists and turns and an unrealistic plot line -- but hey, you very well may love that